What a f**king awful 2nd half that was..f**king Fred Karno's army Sunday football.  If that's the best we can offer up its disappointing.  Still a win is a win and if Willian shrugs his shoulders and hangs his head one more time he loses the ball it will do my head in....lets hope Saturday offers more enjoyment.

Wasn't impressed by that 2nd half performance, but at least we're in the hat for the next round, Bats clattering against the post like that had my heart in my mouth, that could've been so much worse.

 

Hope we get Bristol City at home next 

Overall it was good to get a win. Let’s not forget we made a lot of changes (8 changes) from our last game. So it was obvious we might have looked not quite in sync. Everton had basically their first 11 on the field.

happy to see drinkwater get 60mins seems pretty decent will be very valuable I feel.

Ampadu put in a good shift. 

Least we’re through. That lot from Wembley have fallen apart tonight!!

Nine changes and a below par performance but we go into the quarter finals.....CAREFREE !

am I the only one pissed that Mirallas's stomp on Cesc went unpunished? I don't care what the commentator said, that sh*t looked intentional. take another look at this bs

 

Thought the referee was a total c**t. Davies was booked after his fifth foul, Rudiger booked after his first. He was very lenient with them and very strict with us, as two foul throws against us testify. There was a diabolical challenge which didn't even receive a yellow, the one on the kid Ampudu, and then there was a stamp on Fabregas, right in front of the fourth official, the same official who refereed our first game of the season against Burnley, so no surprise he didn't see it. 

 

That aside, we were good first-half but Everton were woeful, second-half they were the better side and were unlucky not to equalise. Our keeper made some very good saves, but his decision-making with his feet isn't great.

 

Zappacosta was probably our best player but he didn't get much of the ball second-half. Ampudu has only just turned 17 so he deserves massive credit and he did very well. Drinkwater decent, Kenedy always impresses me, Batshuayi looked confident. Musonda will probably be unhappy with his evening's work. No point shouting your mouth off on social media if you can't take your chances when they come. Still, he'll have better days.

 

There was a criminal bit of play by Rudiger second-half. He went down clutching his face, got up clearly aggrieved, lost his head and immediately gave away a needless foul from which they would have scored but for a fine save from our keeper. Unforgivable from an experienced defender and he's lucky it didn't cost us. Other than that he continues to impress me, he scored a good goal but not as good as Willian's, which was absolute class.

 

We're still not very good, we still seem to get outplayed for long periods no matter who we play, and we can't keep clean sheets. However another win will help our confidence and it was good to see a few fringe players perform. Into the next round. Well done Chelsea.

I don't see how drinkwater has really impressed tbh. He did okay 1st half, but we've seen fabregas and kante both do well against a better everton midfield already this season. If teams sit back and don't press like everton did in that 1st 45, it is very easy for any player in our midfield. Our problems lie when we get pressed, so I think it is very premature to suggest drinkwater would be better than bakayoko or fabregas in that position next to kante. It worked for them both at Leicester, but that was a very different team, playing predominantly on the counter. 

Who was that who came on and looked like Fab but played like someone from my pub team?

Bilic saves his job by beating Tottenham 2-3. I have always liked Bilic. As a player and as a person. Hope he finds success in managing.

1 minute ago, Davey Baby said:

Thought the referee was a total c**t. Davies was booked after his fifth foul, Rudiger booked after his first. He was very lenient with them and very strict with us, as two foul throws against us testify. There was a diabolical challenge which didn't even receive a yellow, the one on the kid Ampudu, and then there was a stamp on Fabregas, right in front of the fourth official, the same official who refereed our first game of the season against Burnley, so no surprise he didn't see it. 

 

That aside, we were good first-half but Everton were woeful, second-half they were the better side and were unlucky not to equalise. Our keeper made some very good saves, but his decision-making with his feet isn't great.

 

Zappacosta was probably our best player but he didn't get much of the ball second-half. Ampudu has only just turned 17 so he deserves massive credit and he did very well. Drinkwater decent, Kenedy always impresses me, Batshuayi looked confident. Musonda will probably be unhappy with his evening's work. No point shouting your mouth off on social media if you can't take your chances when they come. Still, he'll have better days.

 

There was a criminal bit of play by Rudiger second-half. He went down clutching his face, got up clearly aggrieved, lost his head and immediately gave away a needless foul from which they would have scored but for a fine save from our keeper. Unforgivable from an experienced defender and he's lucky it didn't cost us. Other than that he continues to impress me, he scored a good goal but not as good as Willian's, which was absolute class.

 

We're still not very good, we still seem to get outplayed for long periods no matter who we play, and we can't keep clean sheets. However another win will help our confidence and it was good to see a few fringe players perform. Into the next round. Well done Chelsea.

That challenge on ampadu completely changed the game, it fired everton up, and 15 seconds later Cabellero is being pressed on his goal line. 

Bad tackle, can't believe it wasn't a foul, could've actually been a red, as he went over the ball. 

5 minutes ago, robdog said:

am I the only one pissed that Mirallas's stomp on Cesc went unpunished? I don't care what the commentator said, that sh*t looked intentional. take another look at this bs

 

Lower back stamp could've been bad, that dick better get banned, much worse than Costa's "stamp"

Nice win. Game of 2 halves. Willian is such an enigma, doesn't do anything right for 90min then pops up with a worldie in the 93+ minute.

Possession went to the gutter the moment Cesc was introduced, Danny had better control of the game's tempo. I like Cesc but he just can't hold a midfield whilst in a 2 anymore especially against a high pressing team.

Conte needs to take a leaf out of Pep's book on possession for a bit when we're playing a high pressing counter attacking team. Every failed long ball becomes an instant danger atm.

Defense fell asleep as soon as we scored 2. Needs better concentration than that. Willy really saved us today. Musonda still has a lot of improvement to make before starting a PL game, that was against a pretty much full strength Everton team on low morale.

Job done. Another match for our squad players and youth to play.

Hopefully home to Bristol city next and have arsenal play at city, United at the foxes. 

Just now, evissy said:

Bilic saves his job by beating Tottenham 2-3. I have always liked Bilic. As a player and as a person. Hope he finds success in managing.

Have you forgotten his playacting in the 98 world cup? Shocking. Or do you like him because it was down to him LeBoeuf played in the final?

He does seem a good bloke, though.

and the 2nd beauty

8 minutes ago, robdog said:

am I the only one pissed that Mirallas's stomp on Cesc went unpunished? I don't care what the commentator said, that sh*t looked intentional. take another look at this bs

 

We all know that if that is Costa, it's a ban. I'm highly confident nothing will come of that stamp from Miralles.

Good win, poor second half but job done anyway.

Drinkwater looks solid offers a better balance than Fabregas in terms of defending, Ampadu also fairly solid just needs to stop the Hollywood passes.

On to the next one UTC.

I'd like to see a Baka-Drinky-Kante midfield three. Fabregas has just lost all mobility and composure as a footballer and even his passing seems off, Drinkwater's ability to pick a pass and to maintain possession when we're under pressure would be very useful alongside two ball-winners whose best attributes aren't with the ball at their feet

7 minutes ago, big blue said:

I don't see how drinkwater has really impressed tbh. He did okay 1st half, but we've seen fabregas and kante both do well against a better everton midfield already this season. If teams sit back and don't press like everton did in that 1st 45, it is very easy for any player in our midfield. Our problems lie when we get pressed, so I think it is very premature to suggest drinkwater would be better than bakayoko or fabregas in that position next to kante. It worked for them both at Leicester, but that was a very different team, playing predominantly on the counter. 

They started pressing more after Cesc was introduced. It was still manageable before then.

Everton probably had a plan in place for Cesc but had to hold it at first because they probably didn't expect Drinkwater playing today.

4 minutes ago, BenCFC19 said:

I'd like to see a Baka-Drinky-Kante midfield three. Fabregas has just lost all mobility and composure as a footballer and even his passing seems off, Drinkwater's ability to pick a pass and to maintain possession when we're under pressure would be very useful alongside two ball-winners whose best attributes aren't with the ball at their feet

Fabregas is only useful around the opposition penalty area these days, the problem is, the only way we can get him up there is from a set piece. During normal gameplay, he is far too deep and can't cope with the pressure put on him. He and every other midfielder we have can't get the ball out of defence at all. His long balls up field are desperate and rushed these days because he can't find even a second of breathing space.

Edited October 25, 20178 yr by Scott Harris

In the hat for the QF draw:

Arsenal ; Bournemouth ; Bristol City ; CHELSEA ; Leicester City ; Manchester City ; Manchester United ; West Ham United.

Odds on we get one of the Manc clubs I reckon ...

 

13 minutes ago, robdog said:

am I the only one pissed that Mirallas's stomp on Cesc went unpunished? I don't care what the commentator said, that sh*t looked intentional. take another look at this bs

 

It'll never be reviewed again because we won and they go out. Even the commentator played it off like it was nothing. "Seemed intentional" but then gets nothing, not even a warning

4 minutes ago, Scott Harris said:

Fabregas is only useful around the opposition penalty area these days, the problem is, the only way we can get him up there is from a set piece. During normal gameplay, he is far too deep and can't cope with the pressure put on him. He and every other midfielder we have can't get the ball out of defence at all. His long balls up field are desperate and rushed these days because he can't find even second of breathing space.

100%, for me once Drinkwater regains full fitness Cesc doesn't get near the side except possibly alongside Hazard in a two behind Morata, although Pedro offers so much more in that position. Will be interesting to see how Conte views it

Edited October 25, 20178 yr by BenCFC19

not even a yellow and congrats from the team mate

Edited October 25, 20178 yr by mojo